5 things to consider when buying an eReader

Whether you are an avid reader, or just looking to get through a few more books, you might have considered buying an eReader. An eReader can be a great way of making your way through your reading list and discovering new stories, although may not necessarily be the best option for everyone, given the costs and other potential downsides they have. Here are some of the key considerations when deciding whether or not an eReader is for you.

1. They can be very convenient

Perhaps the greatest advantage of eReaders is their convenience. With eReaders typically having screens around six to eight inches in size, very narrow depths and weights of only a few hundred grams, they can be easily stored and carried. Downloading eBooks means they can be available in moments. Plus, given eBooks tend to take up only a few megabytes (MB) of storage, you can store plenty of books on even eReader models with the smallest storage. For example, an eReader with 8GB of storage could store around 2,700 eBooks around 3MB in size - imagine how much space that many physical books would take up! This shows how eReaders can be particularly useful if you have limited space for physical books or if you like to read when travelling.

2. They are designed for the best reading experience

This one is fairly straightforward – as eReaders are designed with reading as their primary purpose, they come with features included to provide the best reading experience possible, which you may not find on other devices you can read eBooks on. For example, Amazon Kindle devices use front lights rather than backlights like in phones or tablets, which helps eReaders to work well in varying light levels and place less strain on eyes. Similarly, eReader batteries are usually capable of lasting weeks, as opposed to hours on other portable devices.

3. You can enjoy cheaper book prices and eBook libraries

Like other forms of digital media, eBooks can often be bought significantly cheaper than their physical counterparts. Although prices tend to be similar for new releases, these usually drop considerably after a book has been out for a while and discount deals are also common on eBook stores. If you’ve not got specific books in mind, you might also find a subscription service with vast libraries of e-books to have some that catch your interest – we previously wrote about some of these in our post on how to find a good book.

4. They can be quite high cost for specific use

There are clearly multiple benefits to eReaders, although you may find their prices off-putting considering you can only use these for reading. If you do not feel that you do enough reading to justify buying a product specifically for it, you may be better off opting for a tablet. Granted, you will lose out on some of the previously discussed eReader-specific features, but you will have a product you can also use for lots more purposes for around the same or lower cost.

5. Your reading may not suit electronic formats and/or you may just prefer physical books

If you read publications like magazines, comics or study books, you might not find the experience of reading these on an eReader to be as straightforward as it may be with physical copies. For example, as these will be shrunk to fit the screen, reading these may become harder and so could take you longer as you may have to zoom and scroll a lot to read all the content. Also, if you’re particularly passionate about books and enjoy the tangible aspects of them, these can be diminished on eReaders – for example, you may find that your books feel similar to read because your device applies a default font, or you may not get to enjoy the same feeling of ownership that you would from having a physical copy of the book.

So, should you get an eReader?

If you spend lots of time reading and get through plenty of books, an eReader could be ideal for you if you are simply wanting to read and do not mind missing out on the physical qualities that books can have. Their compactness and optimal reading features will be hugely convenient and in the long run will likely save you considerable money on books, whether buying them individually or reading via a subscription service.

If you want a book-sized device but do not spend as much time reading, or only have a few books on your reading list, you may be better off either opting for a tablet or sticking to physical books. Given the limited functionality of eReaders, less frequent use may not justify the initial price tag. A tablet can act as a reasonable alternative, whilst also letting you do much more than just read.

SMARTY Data Only SIMs

If you do get an eReader or tablet and want to stay connected while taking it out and about, why not consider a SMARTY data SIM? All of our plans are one-month rolling plans, so you can change or cancel your plan whenever you want. Although with superfast great value data, unrestricted hotspotting and the ability to use up to 12GB of your data allowance when roaming in the EU, there are plenty of reasons to love SMARTY!